Cells from most mammalian tissues require an extracellular matrix (ECM) for attachment and proper functioning. In vitro cell cultures therefore must be supplied with an ECM that satisfies both the biological needs of cells used and the technical demands of the experimental setup. The latter include matrix functionalization for cell attachment, favorable microscopic properties, and affordable production costs. Here, modified DNA materials are therefore developed as an ECM mimic. The material is prepared by chemical cross‐linking of commonly available salmon sperm DNA. To render the material cell‐compatible, it is enzymatically modified by DNA polymerase I to provide versatile attachment points for peptides, proteins, or antibodies via a modular strategy. Different cells specifically attach to the material, even from mixed populations. They can be mildly released for further cell studies by DNase I‐mediated digestion of the DNA material. Additionally, neural stem cells not only attach and survive on the material but also differentiate to a neural lineage when prompted. Furthermore, the DNA material can be employed to capture and retain cells under flow conditions. The simple preparation of the DNA material and its wide scope of applications open new perspectives for various cell study challenges and medical applications.
Cell proliferation and differentiation in multicellular organisms are partially regulated by signaling from the extracellular matrix. The ability to mimic an extracellular matrix would allow particular cell types to be specifically recognized, which is central to tissue engineering. We present a new functional DNA-based material with cell-adhesion properties. It is generated by using covalently branched DNA as primers in PCR. These primers were functionalized by click chemistry with the cyclic peptide c(RGDfK), a peptide that is known to predominantly bind to αvβ3 integrins, which are found on endothelial cells and fibroblasts, for example. As a covalent coating of surfaces, this DNA-based material shows cell-repellent properties in its unfunctionalized state and gains adhesiveness towards specific target cells when functionalized with c(RGDfK). These cells remain viable and can be released under mild conditions by DNase I treatment.
Chemical and structural gradients in biofunctionalized organosilica–polymer nanocomposites control cell adhesion properties and open perspectives for artificial cellular community systems.
In article number https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.201900080 by Andreas Marx and co‐workers, chemically cross‐linked DNA hydrogels are generated by DNA polymerase I mediated incorporation of nucleotides carrying cell specific bait factors (shown as orange spheres). Using this technique different cells can specifically attach to this material. Furthermore channels were prepared and coated with modified DNA hydrogels which could be used to bind cells under flow conditions.
<div><div><div><div><p>Cells exist in the so-called extracellular matrix (ECM) in their native state, and numerous future applications require reliable and potent ECM-mimics. A perspective, which goes beyond ECM emulation, is the design of a host-material with features, which are not accessible in the biological portfolio. Such a feature would, for instance be, the creation of a structural or chemical gradient, and to explore how this special property influences the biological processes. First, we wanted to test if macroporous organosilica materials with appropriate surface modification can act as a host for the implementation of human cells like HeLa or LUHMES. It was possible to use a commercially available polymeric foam as a scaffold and coat it with a layer of a thiophenol-containing organosilica layer, followed by biofunctionalization with biotin using click chemistry and the subsequent coupling of streptavidin - fibronectin to it. More importantly, deformation of the scaffold allowed the generation of a permanent structural gradient. In this work, we show that the structural gradient has a tremendous influence on the capability of the described material for the accommodation of living cells. The introduction of a bi-directional gradient enabled the establishment of a cellular community comprising different cell types in spatially distinct regions of the material. An interesting perspective is to study communication between cell types or to create cellular communities, which can never exist in a natural enviornment.</p></div></div></div></div>
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